A Research Workshop on Aquifers, Aquitards and Mining was held 27-28th March 2014 at the School of Mining Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia. The workshop was organised jointly by the NCGRT and the Australian Centre for Sustainable Mining Practices (ACSMP) at UNSW.

Low permeability geological materials, known as aquitards, caprocks, and sealing strata play a critical role in: disconnecting or partially disconnecting shallow and deep aquifers; limiting subsurface movement of poor quality water and sequestered waste; and providing a crucial seepage barrier where underlying mineral and energy resources are developed. The workshop presented technical developments in characterising aquitards in groundwater systems, and related research in mining and coal seam gas.

Over 60 people registered for the workshop, with many also attending the tour of the geotechnical centrifuge and laboratories at the UNSW Manly Vale campus. Workshop chairperson, Dr Wendy Timms thanked keynote speakers Professor Lee Barbour (University of Saskatchewan, Canada) and Dr Ken Mills (Strata Control Technology) for their contributions focused on mine hydrology, subsidence and mine closure, and invited presenters from UNSW and Flinders University. Professor Ros Taplin from ACSMP and School of Mining Engineering opened the workshop with an overview of the importance of groundwater to many users including mining and agriculture. Dr Timms and her colleagues look forward to continuing and new collaborations to further develop technologies and systems for sustainable mining initiatives and sustainable water resources on which our civilisation depends.

Available downloads:
Workshop agenda (PDF 180KB)
Workshop opening (PDF 760KB)
Bouzalakos and Timms, 2014 - Abstracts booklet (PDF 850KB)
Timms et al. 2014 - Leaky and tight aquitards, references (PDF 800KB)
Kelly, 2014. - Facies modelling of fluvial systems, references (PDF 130KB)